The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom

Today was an astonishingly significant day in global affairs as North Korea crowned Kim Jong-un the successor to Kim Jong-il, setting in place the next stage for the country's future. In my Library Journal review of Hassig and Oh's The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom, we see the inner depths of life in
In this sequel to North Korea Through the Looking Glass, which focused on Kim Jong-Il's political apparatus, Hassig (psychology, adjunct, Univ. of Maryland) and Oh (Inst. for Defense Analyses) discuss the lives of North Korea's citizens. Revealing the haunting details of daily life in an authoritarian state, the authors boldly declare that the current regime is unraveling despite its feverish attempts to hold on to power; even sprouts of capitalism are appearing in North Korean society. Unlike other authors, e.g., Jasper Becker in Rogue Regime, who portray Kim Jong-Il as fanatically eccentric, Hassig and Oh view Kim as a shrewd politician who understands the deficiencies of socialism but chooses to hold on to the status quo. The authors, who gained an intimate knowledge of North Korean society through their interviews with refugees in China, describe a defeated populace that for the most part disregards the constant barrage of state propaganda. VERDICT Western readers will gain a rare view of the hidden world of North Korean citizens. Recommended for those interested in international affairs or inquisitive about this last remnant of the Communist world.—Allan Cho, Univ. of British Columbia Lib., Vancouver

The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers

Upon recently reviewing Richard McGregor's new book, The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers (Harper: HarperCollins. Jun. 2010), I discovered that this is China is on the brink of either explosive growth or immense crises. This is a book that tries to explore this in greater detail, opening up a seedier side of the communist regime that we all suspect, but never privy to knowing. McGregor (China bureau chief, Financial Times) reveals the inner workings of China's political structure and the mechanisms that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) needs to manipulate the country's business, government, courts, media, and military. Not only, as McGregor shows, is the CCP pervasive in almost every aspect of citizens' lives, but it also carefully conceals corruption and human rights abuses by sheltering its own members from any hint of criticism. Although a superpower second only to the United States in global influence and modernization, China continues to be ruled by men in an anachronistic bubble reminiscent of the country's imperial past, reticent and mysterious to its people and the rest of the world. In tracing the bureaucracy and its leadership, from Mao Zedong to current president Hu Jintao, McGregor documents how such an extraordinary political machine—it has over 73 million members—with complete control of all areas from the largest cities to the tiniest hamlets, is run like a modern-day corporation, from selecting its own senior managers for all government offices to rewarding its card-holding members through a patronage system. VERDICT McGregor's portrait unravels the ambiguities surrounding this secretive state's party apparatus. Recommended for all seeking to keep current on Chinese political history.—Allan Cho, Univ. of British Columbia Lib., Vancouver

The Race to the Past

Although Read Write Web calls it the ongoing game of cat and mouse between China and Google, in my opinion, this hearkens back to the long history of colonialism in the 19th and 20th centuries. Much of this tension stems from the Chinese government's suspicion and fear that Google is essentially bypassing Chinese firewalls and spreading Western influence into areas beyond Chinese control. Certainly, from a Western-centric viewpoint, this has always been about democratization and intellectual freedom. However, the same could be said in 1839, when the West (led by the British empire) wanted the doors in China to remain open to trade. Hence, the Google vs. China standoff is very much a commercial venture as it is about democracy. Instead of pulling out of China, Google certainly realizes the enormous wealth and lucrative markets of the Chinese, and it simply can't continue as a multinational giant by bypassing 1 billion of the world's population.

For that reason alone, rather than pulling out altogether, Google sidestepped any potential conflict this past winter by automatically redirecting its users from Google.cn to Google.com.hk, its Hong Kong search engine. This redirect, which offers unfiltered search in simplified Chinese, has been working well for its users and for Google, as it reports on its latest blog entry.

However, the PRC has stepped up its firmness, as government officials have made it clear that the automatic redirection to Google Hong Kong is no longer acceptable. Google's solution? Instead of redirecting users directly from Google.cn to Google.com.hk, the Chinese homepage will now simply link to its Hong Kong counterpart, which allows users to search free of censorship. As many have commented, the best Google can hope for is to find an acceptable middle ground so that it can honor its own commitment to unfiltered search results while working within the rules set by the Chinese government. And Hong Kong's Google site seems to be that solution, if not long-term, then at least temporarily.

It's interesting, and perhaps historically relevant that Hong Kong is the compromise. A landing spot for much of its history until its recent commercial success this latter part of the 20th century, Hong Kong has always been an entrepot, an entry point where migrants, travelers, and traders stationed temporarily to either evade state authorities or build support for political upheaval. In fact, Hong Kong is where the seeds of Sun Yat-sen's 1911 revolution had taken place. Almost 100 years later, Hong Kong finds itself enmeshed again between the two powers which divide the orient.

Information Diversity in Hong Kong

This is amazing. As an eco-friendly post, watch this award-winning Hong Kong architect squeeze 24 rooms - including a home cinema and ''spa'' - into 344 square feet of apartment space. Think of this as information diversity.

Library Journal Review - Tiananmen Moon: Inside the Chinese Student Uprising of 1989

In my Library Journal review of Tiananmen Moon: Inside the Chinese Student Uprising of 1989, Philip Cunningham takes us on a historical journey through the streets of Beijing, where he had worked as a freelance journalist in the eventful days leading up to the Tiananmen Square massacre, one of the darkest moments of Chinese history. Based on his reminiscences, Cunningham's evocative day-by-day testimony of the monthlong political chess match between the students and the Communist regime before the violent military crackdown on June 4, 1989, reads as much like an action-based thriller as an historical narrative.

In offering a candid view of the student leadership based on his interviews and interactions with the protesters, Cunningham's account reveals the dissent and factionalism within the student ranks. A welcome addition to our understanding of a convoluted and perplexing historical black mark that media and scholarly pundits have only begun to unravel after nearly two decades of silence, this book will be appreciated by both interested general readers and scholars.—Allan Cho, Univ. of British Columbia Lib., Vancouver

Library Journal Review - The Last Empress: Madame Chiang Kai-shek and the Birth of Modern China

In my Library Journal review of Hannah Pakula's The Last Empress: Madame Chiang Kai-shek and the Birth of Modern China, I argued that her book presents an engaging study into one of the most intriguing but misunderstood characters of modern China. Soong May-ling (1897–2003), most famous as Madame Chiang Kai-shek. This fascinating biography contrasts with Sterling Seagrave's classic but rather cynical The Soong Dynasty. In examining Soong May-ling's contributions to modern China, Pakula argues that despite being overshadowed by her husband, "the Generalissimo," Soong's own legacy was arguably more significant to Chinese politics.

Well educated and thoroughly Americanized (she was educated in the States from girlhood), Soong possessed the intelligence and social prowess to play an important role in politicking with Western nations, serving as her husband's translator and offering him a cultural understanding of American politicians. Through her subject's letters and diaries, Pakula also reveals details of Soong's personal life: her indifference toward her husband, her battle with depression, and her personal ambitions even as she was cloistered in a patriarchal society. VERDICT Readers, both general and specialized, interested in modern Chinese and international history will enjoy this book immensely. Highly recommended.—Allan Cho, Univ. of British Columbia Lib.

John Keay's China: A History

As a Library Journal book reviewer, I take my work seriously. Academic librarians have a mandate to uphold the integrity of the publications produced; but I must admit, it's quite a bit of work! With John Keay's latest work, there are only a handful of English-language books that encapsulate the five millennia of Chinese history in one volume. To date, only John King Fairbank and Merle Goldman's China: A New History, Jacques Gernet's A History of Chinese Civilization, and Patricia Buckley Ebrey's Cambridge Illustrated History of China come close to Keay's concise précis of the imperial dynasties, influential characters, and major turning points of Chinese history. Without sacrificing substance for brevity, Keay manages to illustrate China's history very much as a narrative of the rise and fall of strong and feeble emperors, bureaucratic cliques and factionalism, the development of philosophical traditions and religious incarnations, and the constant restructuring of the empire's geographical boundaries. A journalist by trade, Keay is well experienced in scripting historical tomes, with India: A History being most comparable in scale and ambition to this latest work. VERDICT Readers already interested in, or wishing newly to embark upon, Chinese history will adore this book. Highly recommended.—Allan Cho, Univ. of British Columbia Lib., Vancouver